All lanes I-71 closed north of Columbus after fatal accident

DELAWARE COUNTY -- A crash has closed all lanes of I-71 just north of Columbus. ODOT says all lanes of I-71 South are closed at the Route 36 exit.

The northbound lanes of I-71 are also closed at I-270 near mile marker 119.

The Ohio Highway Patrol says an ODOT worker was operating a backhoe on the right berm, when a commercial vehicle drove off the right side of the roadway, striking the backhoe.

The commercial vehicle flipped over and became engulfed in flames.

The worker, Lee Rizor, 27, of Mt. Gilead, was declared dead at the scene. The driver of the commercial vehicle, Dwayne Allen Hill Sr., 59, of Ashland, Va., was taken to the OSU Wexner Medical Center in critical condition.

Motorists are asked to use the Route 95 or 61 exits as alternate routes to avoid the area.

Officials have no estimate on how long it will take the roadway to reopen.